Keeping Track Of Local Media's Gains And Losses

Java: MaryEllen Fillo, Hartford Courant
January 13, 2009

Need a scorecard to keep track of what local personalities are still with your newspaper, TV or radio station or have become the victims of corporate cutbacks or career changes?

Welcome back the Laurel Club.

Three PR types, including her majesty of media, Duby McDowell, have launched thelaurel.wordpress.com, a new blog devoted to the comings and goings of Connecticut's news media.

"It seemed like it made sense especially during these turbulent times for the Connecticut media," said McDowell, who writes the blog with Robyn Gengras and Kevin Hill, who work with her at her Hartford company, Duby McDowell Communications, LLC. "We launched it the day Diane Smith and Colin McEnroe [former personalities on WTIC-AM radio] were let go so we had a lot of hits and since then it has been pretty steady. There are many blogs covering different aspects of the news media but no one central location. This combines information from broadcast and web media."

For you history buffs, the Laurel Club was an organization organized by the state's legislative reporters in 1909, with a goal of fostering "cooperation among legislative newspapermen to promote better government by accurate and fearless reporting."

"They had dinners and things like that, we are just planning to blog for now," said McDowell. "But maybe we'll consider a dinner in the future."

Duby McDowell, left, Kevin Hill, and Robyn Gengras of Duby McDowell Communications LLC in Hartford have started a blog to track the comings and goings in the Connecticut's media industry. "It seemed like it made sense especially during these turbulent times for the Connecticut media," McDowell said.